jet stream
noun
: a long narrow meandering current of high-speed winds near the tropopause blowing from a generally westerly direction and often exceeding a speed of 250 miles (402 kilometers) per hour
Examples of jet stream in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Heat domes are usually affected by the behavior of the jet stream, a ribbon of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere that flows from west to east in the Northern Hemisphere and affects weather systems.
—
Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 June 2025
While meteorologists don’t know for sure why March was so active, there were a couple of ingredients that favor tornadoes:
First, in March the climate was in a weak La Niña pattern, which is associated with a wavier and stormier jet stream and, often, with more U.S. tornadoes.
—Daniel Chavas, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
What Is a Jet Streak A jet streak is a fast-moving core of winds within the broader jet stream.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
What are the polar jet stream and the stratospheric polar vortex?
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jet stream
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 June 2025
While meteorologists don’t know for sure why March was so active, there were a couple of ingredients that favor tornadoes:
First, in March the climate was in a weak La Niña pattern, which is associated with a wavier and stormier jet stream and, often, with more U.S. tornadoes.
—Daniel Chavas, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
What Is a Jet Streak A jet streak is a fast-moving core of winds within the broader jet stream.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
What are the polar jet stream and the stratospheric polar vortex?
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jet stream
Cite this Entry
“Jet stream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jet%20stream. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share